coaches on coaching – part 6

Transition to

theAll-conquering St Kilda coach Ross Lyon wastop fully job prepared for a senior coaching role after serving an 11-year apprenticeship as an assistant. In the sixth part of the AFL and full-time football – a lot of the Tigers with any clear view Record’s Coaches on Coaching series, the Saints mentor the standard coaching structures of becoming a senior coach, nor discusses the transition from assistant to senior coach. and meetings have evolved in did I feel an insatiable urge to the past 10 years. become a senior coach for much Clearly someone like Michael of my time as an assistant. I erving as an of the first players straight out Voss has shown the modern- just felt I had so many areas to assistant coach of the game to be appointed an day player can go straight into experience and learn, and that was crucial in assistant – I remember Walls senior coaching, but I think, was what I focused on. preparing me wanted the perspective of a if you do an apprenticeship as I worked primarily with to step up to recently retired player on his an assistant, it helps prepare Richmond’s defence under Walls senior coaching, coaching panel. you more fully. from 1996-97 and went full-time but the importance of such But I think now players see It’s also a question of under Jeff Gieschen from San apprenticeship will differ a career path in coaching and what gaps there are in your 1998-99, when I again worked depending on the individual. assistant coaching. knowledge, recognising those mainly with the defence. Much depends on how The money has grown and gaps and surrounding yourself I moved to Carlton in 2000 focused you are on becoming a the opportunities are great and with the right people to help when offered me coach when you get towards the players are starting to prepare you bridge them. the opportunity to coach its VFL end of your playing career. themselves before they retire When I joined Richmond, side, which I did for three years, My desire to go down this by doing level one, two and it opened a coaching path for me in addition to assisting in the path was not high and, in some three coaching courses. and, once I was on it, I had AFL coach’s box on match-days. ways, I fell into coaching when The full-time nature of the a desire to improve and get In 2003, when Denis a part-time assistant’s role came football club environment today better at it. I’m the first to admit Pagan took over as coach up under my former Fitzroy and means players are constantly I was very green. I knew my and Carlton became affiliated coach Robert interacting with coaches and line football, but my ability to teach with the Northern Bullants Walls at Richmond in 1996. coaches and have a strong handle and work with players, and to in the VFL, I worked as an Injury had forced me to retire on what coaching involves, plan and prepare, were areas I assistant, focusing on zones, from the Bears at the end of whereas when I started, it was needed to grow in. kick-ins and working 1995 and I was probably one a transition period for coaching I didn’t embark on the role at with specific players.

AFL Record visit aflrecord.com.au 67 coaches on coaching – part 6

Recognise the gaps in your experience 1 and surround yourself with the right people to help you bridge them. Understand the role the media plays, 2 the importance of it and being able to give them good content. You are the biggest influence on your 3 players, team and football department, so carry yourself accordingly. B elieve in your game-plan and stick 4 with it; by chopping and changing you can lose your players’ confidence. Not everyone is equal in playing ability 5 but everyone on your list has the right to be treated fairly. Ensure your assistants are on the same LEARNING PHASE: Lyon was primarily responsible for Sydney’s midfielders 6 page as you, so they understand what and their work at stoppages during his tenure as an assistant with the Swans. you want and can get it done.

Coaching Carlton’s VFL side in a senior coach, you find more and also got to realise you are my own right was critical for my more areas you have to grow in. the biggest influence on your development. Watching games I think the major adjustment senior players, your team and interviewed people, I was looking unfold on game-day, identifying I had to make at St Kilda has your football department, so for great character, a strong work problems and finding solutions, been well documented. I walked you have got to carry yourself ethic and football knowledge. I got challenged consistently into a club with a fair bit of accordingly at all times. And now we’ve got a great with different situations that expectation. I thought I was As an assistant, you have a team at the Saints – Stephen were thrown up. prepared for the media scrutiny set role and may work closely Silvagni, Tony Elshaug, Leigh When you are the coach, you but, when it comes, the intensity with 10-12 players, but as a Tudor and development coaches also learn to connect with your of it can surprise you. senior coach, you have got to Andy Lovell and Danny Sexton. players and I enjoyed that. be across every player on your In terms of delegation, I like to When I stopped coaching in list and all of your staff. There’s put people in roles and give them the VFL, I really missed it. That’s In terms of delegation, a lot more man management and strong guidelines and let them when I thought I really liked I like to put people in I think in this area I got a lot of go. But you have got to stay close coaching a team. From 2004-06, roles and give them things right. Did I do it perfectly? enough to people to keep them I worked at the strong guidelines and No. But you can plan and read accountable and ensure you under Paul Roos, focusing on the let them go all the leadership and coaching know what is going on. midfield, with a strong bent on ROSS LYON books you want, but until you With your coaching team, it’s midfield stoppages. are placed in those day-to-day about getting your assistants on When the opportunity came As senior coach, you need situations and the losses are the same page as yourself. The up to interview with St Kilda at to prepare and plan for media mounting, it’s hard to prepare art is ensuring they understand the end of ’06, I was starting to interaction more than you yourself fully. what you want and can get it feel I needed a new challenge think initially. For me, it The task of assembling your done. If this doesn’t happen, you beyond assistant coaching. was about understanding team of assistant coaches is an have got a problem. For the first time, I felt the urge the role the media plays, the intense period. You want to With my team, it took a little to put my own imprint on a club. importance of it and being able create a complementary team; bit of time for them to understand But148578_P01_NAU. as much as you learn as an to pdf give them Page good content. 1 8/ 5/ 09,you can’t 12: have 02 all the PM same types what I wanted. But now I’m so assistant coach, when you start as As senior coach, you have of people. Fundamentally, when I confident in them that I think

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68 AFL Record visit aflrecord.com.au coaches on coaching – part 6

decision is made, the result is on show: Lyon understands going to rest on his shoulders. the senior coach is the biggest influence on a club’s players. Senior coaching also requires you to be across areas such as fitness and conditioning, list management and recruiting. Here, it’s about getting the right people in, being across what they do, but empowering them to do their job. As much as I monitor the performance of my staff, I’m always striving to improve my own performance and seek constant feedback from mentors. I work with a sports clinical psychologist once a week. He observes me in the coach’s box I could miss a month or two and my meetings and gives me and the way we’d go about our It is ridiculous to think our nine rookies weekly feedback. training and preparation would are equal to our established senior group, There are a couple of ex-AFL be the same, regardless. but they will all be treated just as fairly coaches I might catch up with As a senior coach, the ROSS LYON monthly or bi-monthly for a game-plan you bring to the cup of tea and a talk. I’ve also club is obviously one of the key I think a coach that chops It is ridiculous to think our got friends I can catch up with planks of what you stand for. and changes every week and nine rookies are equal to our and they help keep things Ultimately, you have got to doesn’t have a strong belief established senior group, but in perspective, reminding sell it and its principles – you are in his game-plan can lose they will all be treated just me where I am from and essentially saying to the club the confidence of his players, as fairly. emphasising the value of family and players, ‘Follow this and and affect their ability to Match-day coaching is and friends, which is good. you will be successful’. play instinctively. another area that requires I feel privileged to be in my You only have a limited It takes time to build good adjustment. As an assistant, you role. I feel privileged to be window of opportunity to relationships with your players are more likely to throw up lots coaching St Kilda. deliver on this for the playing when you start as senior coach. of different ideas. It is a case of But my team and I work group to believe in your plan Relationships are about trust all care, no responsibility. very, very hard to provide a and run with it. so, to build trust, you must As much as you felt the great environment our players I think the great coaches show integrity and consistency pressure to make the right call as want to be part of and where have got strong game-plans in everything you do. You an assistant, you didn’t have to they can express their talent, and beliefs that have stood the have to understand that not make the final decision, so you improve and enjoy winning test of time. They have shown everyone is equal in playing didn’t feel the responsibility you games of AFL footy. they can bring wins through ability but everyone has the right do as senior coach. If we can do that, we are a long the door and their players to be treated fairly – that is my Ultimately, the senior coach way towards being a good club. believe in, and support, them. overriding philosophy. makes the final call and, whatever as told to Nick Bowen

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